Zoodiac
| romaji = Jūnishishi | trans = Twelve Beasts | fr_name = Zoodiaque | de_name = Zoodiak | it_name = Zoodiaco | ko_name = 십이수 | ko_hanja = 十二獸 | ko_romanized = Sib-isu | ko_trans = Twelve Beasts | pt_name = Zoodíaco(a) | es_name = Zoodíaco | sets = * Raging Tempest * Maximum Crisis |tcg= *2017 Mega-Tin Mega Pack | anime = Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS }} "Zoodiac", known as "Twelve Beasts" ( Jūnishishi) in the OCG, is an archetype of Level/Rank 4 EARTH Beast-Warrior monsters that debuted in "Raging Tempest". "Master Peace, the True Dracoslayer" and "True King Lithosagym, the Disaster" appear to have a relation to this archetype in Duel Terminal Lore, as seen in "Zodiac Sign" and "Zoodiac Combo", respectively. Design Appearance The "Zoodiac" monsters are based on the Twelve Animals of the Chinese Zodiac, with each monster being a slightly anthropomorphized version of their respective animal. Each monster also wears an oversized gauntlet on either their left or right forearm, with which they wield their own respective weapon. Etymology The Japanese name, "Jūnishishi", is a play on the terms "Jūnishi" (十二支), which refers to the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac, and "Shishi" (獣), meaning "beast". The English name, "Zoodiac", is a portmanteau of the words "zoo" and "zodiac". Members Playing style The archetype's Main Deck monsters grants additional effect for any Beast-Warrior Xyz Monster they're attached to, ranging from protection against targeting effects, piercing battle damage, banishing opposing monster they battled, or even Summoning more monsters from the Deck. The Xyz Monsters of the archetype, meanwhile, all possess variable (?) ATK/DEF, stemming from the total sum of the ATK/DEF of the "Zoodiac" monsters attached to them. Furthermore, each Xyz Monster can be Xyz Summoned once every turn by using 1 "Zoodiac" monster as Material (as long their names are different). Their Material requirements are generic, which means they can be used in other decks as well. The biggest strength of this archetype is their capability of starting their sequences of play with just one card (any of their monster). With the collective strength from "Ratpier", "Broadbull", "Chakanine", and "Drident", in addition of having access to cards like "Zoodiac Barrage", "Fire Formation - Tenki", and "M-X-Saber Invoker", gives them unrivaled consistency and card advantages overall, with almost no investment. Because of this, the deck doesn't require many of their Main Deck components, allowing them to incorporate several powerful cards that either increase their redundancy (such as "Shuffle Reborn" or "Soul Charge"), protect their field presences (such as "My Body as a Shield"), or even hindering their opponents (such as the Hand traps, "Solemn Strike" or "Dimensional Barrier") without affecting much of their consistency. By incorporating "Missus Radiant", they can also mitigate the restriction imposed by the new Master Rule 4 by providing them with power boost, recovery, and two Monster Zones to Summon their Extra Deck monsters. Because of their compact size, they can be included in several other decks (mainly just "Ratpier" and "Whiptail" in Main Deck, while at least "Broadbull" and "Drident" in Extra Deck). With the recent announcement of September 2017 Lists in TCG (and July 2017 Lists in OCG), in which "Zoodiac Broadbull" and "Zoodiac Drident" being Forbidden and "Zoodiac Ratpier" being Limited (in addition to "Zoodiac Barrage" being also Forbidden in OCG), the deck has lost much of their functionality (albeit their "one-card-Xyz Summon" strength still remains). In addition, "Daigusto Emeral" being Forbidden in TCG also greatly weakens their recovery aspect, forcing them to rely exclusively on "Zoodiac Combo" for that purpose, which is also made less reliable due to the Limitation of "Ratpier". Weaknesses Despite its unparalleled consistency, redundancy, and speed, it's not without its weakness. Their over-reliance on "Ratpier" makes it the prime target of any counter-attempt cards their opponents may utilize, such as "Chain Disappearance". "Dimensional Barrier" is one of their worst enemy (and one of the only ones they cannot play around), since its effect essentially leaves them without any moves during the turn it resolves. "Ghost Reaper & Winter Cherries" is also deadly for this deck, especially for eliminating "Zoodiac Broadbull" (which cuts off their main source of card advantage), or "Zoodiac Drident" (leaves them unable to interrupt opponent's moves). In addition, cards like "Dark Hole" and "Interrupted Kaiju Slumber" can easily dismantle the deck's field presence (if no protection cards like "My Body as a Shield" are present). Recommended cards Category:TCG and OCG archetypes